Conversations with Coats
by wickedsugarrush
Summary: The red monstrosity has a language all its own. Colors of spring and ribbons speak.
1. Conversations with Coats

Conversations with Coats

Playing with perspective here. "Talking" 'Interpreting or thinking'

The coat was all she could see most days. It would consume her vision until she was unreasonably fascinated by it.

It was just there, like a bloodstain on chrome, and it was _always_ there, just like the man inside the coat.

It blinded her as if she had accidently glanced at the sun.

The coat was in front of her in the marching order most of the time-at least after the first stretch of road to Guadosalam. It was hard to get away from it, particularly when she didn't really want to.

Her gaze was always drawn to it, and the enigma that it harbored, like it was part of her vision, or the background to the scenery. If she was up in a tree examining a flower, the flash of red drew her focus away.

The coat was the lone pillar of strength: the rigid expectancy of discipline and order.

It flowed, much like the rush of blood that inevitably followed the swift retribution of his powerful blade.

It was intimidating, and he knew it. The coat had the habit of pressing against her vision like the lingering touch of a lover.

Rikku frowned, rubbing her gloved hands against her bare shoulders in a futile effort to keep her appendages warm. She had only known him for a few weeks, but he was the most constant thing she had ever encountered in her life.

Like that coat for example: he never took it off… _ever_.

Not even in Bikanel Island where he hadn't once unbuckled his belt, and shrugged it off to cool his skin with the breeze.

Now, they were in the Macalania forest again, heading towards the Calm Lands, with Yuna safely in the custody of Tidus' arms.

Rikku was thinking about_ sleeves_, unlike her cousin who was certainly preoccupied with the revolutionary idea of arms.

She never saw _his_ arms except in the face of impending doom or potential death.

She never had time to see beyond the coat. And **that **was_ irritating_.

Totally fed up with herself and her thought process for letting her train of thought delve that deeply, the little Al Bhed thief made up her mind. She was about to do something that was either very brave or very stupid. She picked up her pace a little to walk alongside the older guardian.

"Auron?"

"Hm."

Always a "hm" from him if she was the one talking, but that wasn't going to deter her-it hadn't before.

She was always the one bugging him for some conversation. Kimahri just didn't say anything, not even non-committal "hm" sounds.

So- Auron was the next best chance at quenching her thirst for knowledge. It also helped that she was a tiny bit intrigued by him. Which was, she thought with some petulance, a tiny bit of an understatement.

She had learned that a "hm" could mean many things; it was usually a substitute for a philosophical lesson that one will learn later, if not in a harder manner.

For example this "hm" accompanied by no movement of the coat and a very slight tilt to the head was, in fact, a patronizing way of saying, 'Please continue with what you were going to say, that was obviously so important that you had to interrupt my walking pace.'

Well... he probably didn't say _all_ that, but it was a good way to kill time.

"Why dontcha ever take off that red thing?"

"Why do you need to know something so inane?"

"Just 'cuz."

Actually it was not "just 'cuz," and Rikku thought that he knew that too. Just as she knew his "hm's", he knew her "ya know's" and her "cuz's."

He intoned a baritone, "Hmm."

The elongation of the rumble indicated that he was a smidgen displeased, slightly annoyed, and just a tad suspicious. The cock of the neck upwards made it so she knew he was focusing on her, and the shifting of the red monstrosity told her that he was having none of her nonsense.

She sniffed. 'Why do you care?'

The coat shifted where his resting arm laid. 'I do care whether or not it is inane. I care what is up your sleeve. It is preparation and good time management.'

She swung her arms and minced her steps, 'I'm getting impatient for your answer.'

He peered down his nose, his glasses sliding forward, the blood red material straightening into rivers on his back. 'I am fully aware of that.'

Rikku was getting irritated now. "So?"

Auron stopped abruptly, looked towards the edge of the Macalanian forest, and stepped slightly in front of Rikku, almost protectively.

Rikku watched as he slid into his powerful fighting stance, smoothly ripping his resting arm out of his red coat.

The sleeve of his coat fell as a prelude to the rush of blood.

He glanced toward her before he swung and quickly dispatched the Barong. She ran and mugged the other and he took care of it before Tidus could even get in a swing edgewise.

Tidus complained, "Aww... guys, c'mon. I ran all that way." He dejectedly walked back to a giggling Yuna.

Auron looked over at Rikku as his muscular arm disappeared back into the folds of blood.

Rikku understood. It was a part of him, and Spira wouldn't be right without it. 'Even though it_ is_ a crime of fashion…' She thought-well out of view from the subject of her thought.

She smiled and clasped her hands together behind her back, skipping a little behind him.

She realized that she probably knew him better than anyone else in the group. She could read his coat like some could read facial expressions. They didn't have to say much of anything to communicate.

And that's why, in the end, he spoke so very much to her without saying anything.


	2. Conversations with Ribbons

**Conversations with Coats**

Conversations with Ribbons

Playing with perspective here. "Talking" 'Interpreting or thinking'

Flitting, always flitting in and out of his direct vision. Peripheral vision was hell, bright flashes of distracting colors always- _always_- irritatingly distracting him with their appearances.

When the flashes of color were not bursting out and… _tantalizing_ his concentration away from its duties, he had the distinct impression that he was being studied. Auron shifted his blade hefted upon his padded shoulder, as an almost unconscious acknowledgement of the swirled gaze registering his every musculature movement.

The colors were always there. The colors of spring and birds, and the sun.

It also didn't help that the colors were attached to a girl who _insisted_ upon being noticed.

It screamed with her entire being, even if she was utterly silent vocally. Times of which were few and far between, but then again her few moments of silence could be just his perception. He could see everything that she thought, when he cared to, almost as if she were saying it just to him.

It became a habit… caring, that is.

She was so painfully obvious and so bold in everything she did, in every singular thought, normal conversations with the color bearer were almost like looking Holy in the face. It was refreshing and heartening, and at the same time it was almost heartbreaking, profound only because of the simplicity and uniqueness that she simply _was_.

The fact that he could _see_ her, did not mean he ceased to be surprised at what he found.

Earlier that day, just exiting the fork in the road, she had skipped up to walk beside him, her arms crossed in a futile attempt to generate some body heat, and he had known she had a question.

"Auron?"

Her voice lilted to a gentle question. Almost unconsciously he had adjusted his pace so that she was comfortable walking beside him, and his face had turned towards her.

It was as if a hand that had caressed his face, and the movement was naturally inclined to follow.

This, naturally, irritated him. "Hm."

What did she want, and why was it important enough to increase her pace and leave the others?

"Why dontcha ever take off that red thing?"

Of all the questions in the world, and she asks about his choice of apparel?

"Why do you need to know something so inane?"

She uplifted her shoulders, her ribbons rippling from her back, flittering about her legs. Her eyelids lowered and her eyes sank down avoiding his gaze with a kind of languid avoidance. Her eyelashes nearly touched her cheeks.

"Just 'cuz."

She was hiding something. Her avoidance, along with her flippant response, was annoying as it was displeasing.

Her flippancy, he had learned, was not because she was** not** aware of the situation and its implications, but because she simply had no reason to immerse herself within the iron cage of grim despondency.

That the question of his apparel warranted such flippancy was unsettling.

He cocked his neck towards her. "Hmmm."

She sniffed, and her eyes trailed away looking towards the crystals then flicked back towards him. 'Why does it matter to you?' He could see her think it.

His arm tensed. Why did he care? Because she's so damnably unpredictable that he _had_ to know what was going on, or he would be surprised by some 'issues' that would invariably spring up, hampering progress.

The fact that the 'side tracks' were outweighed by random improvement to equipment were more than enough reason to watch her closely. He would have to adjust the battle tactics accordingly.

She minced her steps almost skipping with impatient energy. She was getting antsy for his answer.

Did she really expect an answer?

He peered down at her over his sunglasses, eyeing her almost pouty face, pink with cold and her slight nervousness. Her blue and white clad twitchy fingers that had lime green nails, her large jade eyes that seemed to hold more green than the Calm lands, and jittery legs that had bright blue ribbons fluttering about them. He liked looking at her colors.

He really should be paying attention, he felt that something may be up ahead, and it was common for shell creatures to linger near shrubbery.

Her irritated "So?" Reached his ears at about the same time he noticed the rustling of the barong.

He knew it would come barreling out, and quickly moved so that she would not be its target and adjusted into his fighting stance. Every thought he had of enjoying her colors were swiped away as swiftly as he ripped his arm out of his coat, and replaced with protecting the fluttering blue.

He glanced at her, simultaneously sending her a signal of doing what they had practiced in training, and checking her position- of which he was already aware.

He swung his sword forward as the Barong lumbered towards him, using the fiends own momentum to slice it in two. She leapt forward towards another, colors flashing .She had done something so that just a step with his left boot could slam down, and his blade would catch the underbelly of the fiend.

Tidus skidded up. "Aw… guys, c'mon I ran all that way."

Auron watched his young charge pretended to be dejected to get a reaction from his girl, who was blushing pink and giggling- looking far too much like Braska after he'd participated in the theft of his sake jug with Jecht.

He hefted his sword back upon his shoulder, and came to a realization. Rikkus smile dawned like the sun as she apparently got the answer to her question, and was so busy being happy and smiley to read him.

She needed to ask questions, to create happiness and curiosity, and she wanted him to do the same.

He turned and began to walk forward again. In some small way he wanted her to. He understood now, that it was more than her insisting on notice. He was drawn to her, because she was hope.

He understood her color. She needed to be a part of Spira, and Spira needed her.

He just hoped that she couldn't read him as well as he had first thought.

Thanks to everyone who reviewed! I really appreciate your comments. You are all super fantastic! Sorry it took me so long to update. I'd love suggestions for the next question and even if this works.


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